Lancelot Percival Roberts (1833-1950)
Lancelot Roberts is listed in The Dictionary of British Artists working 1900-1950 by Grant Waters (1975) as having been a Cheshire artist who lived in Manchester and later in Gatley, and who exhibited chiefly at the Royal Cambrian Academy and was a member of the Pastel Society. His painting 'A Lancashire Lass' hangs in the Manchester City Art Gallery. Lancelot Roberts painted mainly charming images of genre scenes and children in interiors or gardens.
The following information has kindly been provided by Sarah Malloy, great neice of the artist:
Born 1883, the son of Robert L Roberts some time of Trafford Old Hall, Old Trafford, Manchester, Northern Director of Thomas Cook, Travel Agents. Lancelot (“Lanty” to his family and friends) had a sister Lilian “Biddy” Roberts who married a Pilkington and ran one of the first Riding Schools in North Wales (believed Colwyn Bay) in the early 1900;s and a younger brother Bertram Lloyd Roberts (1894-1974), my paternal Grandfather.
Lancelot spent most of his 67 years in the Manchester area but in the five years before his death he lived in Little Meadows, Egwlys Bach, North Wales. His great passion for at developed at an early aged and one of his tutors and great personal friends was L. S. Lowry (Matchstick Men paintings). He was elected an Associate of the Royal Cambrian Academy (Based in Conwy, North Wales) in 1916 and became a full member in 1921.
From 1916 to a few years before his death in 1950 he exhibited over 100 works (mainly pastels) at the RCA Annual Exhibitions.
Listed in “Who’s Who” Lancelot also exhibited his work at RSBA, Birmingham, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, Manchester City Art Gallery and the Royal Academy, London.
From 1916 Lancelot lived at 113 Northumberland Road, Old Trafford, Manchester with a studio at 2 John Dayton Street, Manchester, From 1930 he lived at Little Meadows, Motcombe Road, Gatley, Manchester and while he was living there he was employed as Art Master at Henshalls Deaf and Dumb College, Manchester. His closest friend at that time was Lowry.
On retirement in the late 40’s he bought a cottage in the North Wales village of Egwlys Bach and renamed it “Little Meadows”. Some mystery now surrounds his wife who outlived him. Her name is recorded as Mrs. Helen Fraser Roberts but she was known to my fatheras “Aunty Gwladys” (Welsh spelling) and there were no children.
Lancelot is buried on the Great Orme in North Wales
Sarah Malloy
Paintings for sale by Lancelot Percival Roberts:
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